Enjoying the Hot Springs
The waves crash violently. Shwaaa! Unlike the nickname “cradle of life,” these waves surge as if trying to pull their children who ventured onto land back into their embrace. Yet land-dwelling creatures have biologically broken free from the sea. Though we call it independence, it wasn’t as if we received everything while remaining in its arms. That is why humans built vessels to cross the ocean. “Would I be able to do it now?” A sudden, whimsical thought surfaced—one of those childish, fantasy-level imaginings I used to have while sitting at my desk in class. Back then it remained just a fantasy, but now I possessed the power to make it real.
“Excuse me, aren’t you cold? If you’d like, why not come to the wheelhouse for some warm coffee?” A voice called from behind. Three sturdy men. Their skin tones varied, but all were sun-browned, roughly the same age, and smiling as they approached. Being hit on by men like this was the first time since a few gay guys had pestered me in Itaewon back in the old days. The difference was that those guys had wanted a man, while these ones wanted a woman. Well, this much I could handle with a smile. At least, I could smile in response to the presence approaching now.
“Haha, I’m fine. Besides, this is part of my job.”
“Job?” One of them raised an eyebrow at the word. Explaining it would take time; showing them would be faster.
Shwaaa! The ship cut through the waves and lifted briefly, a floating sensation washing over us. The unsettling buoyancy vanished, replaced by pressure and spray. The three men braced themselves like seasoned sailors, but I showed no sign of discomfort. Then, from behind me, a fish-type monster leapt violently onto the deck, jaws aimed at the three men. Its target was obviously them. I had been suppressing my presence; had it known I was here, it would never have attempted this.
“Aaaaaagh!” The fastest to react screamed first upon spotting the monster. Playtime was over.
Chwaak! With a flick of my hand the monster was bisected and froze solid, rolling across the deck. ““Hiyaaaagh!”” The remaining two screamed as well and fled, leaving only the words “Just look at the work” behind. Hmm. They didn’t seem like bad people at heart. Maybe I should have just offered them tea and chatted instead.
“We’ve arrived!” Dohwa stretched contentedly as her feet touched Jeju soil. Watching her, I gently took both her arms and lifted her up.
“Uwaaah?”
“Heh-heh, guess you don’t stretch like a cat after all.” She didn’t elongate like the cats in those internet videos, but this was cuter anyway.
“Miss Ha Dowol, Miss Ha Dohwa. This way, please.” Officials bowed and called out to us. I hadn’t sensed them through any prophetic power; I simply knew our names and arrival had been expected, and they looked the part. Unfortunately, our sibling antics had to end. Truthfully, I had mostly wanted to shake off the unpleasant aura I’d felt drawing closer to Jeju.
Following their guidance, we found an SUV waiting. It carried us and Dohwa away from the harbor. Then I noticed something odd about the scene near the port.
“…People aren’t staying in their homes. They’re all outside.”
“Ah, yes. They’ve come out to receive rations. We told them everything would be distributed in order, but they wouldn’t listen…” The official spoke with clear discomfort. Rations did need proper organization and efficient distribution. In that sense, their behavior was pointless. But that wasn’t what bothered me.
“They don’t seem afraid of monsters.”
“Monsters?” The official’s eyes widened. “What monsters?”
“It’s the East Server term. Over there, monsters are called yogwi.”
“Ah, East Server. I see.” Whether he truly understood was unclear. Most likely he only grasped the vague notion of East versus West.
“Anyway, I’m asking whether the streets have been completely cleared of monsters.”
“Ah, that. You needn’t worry. There weren’t many to begin with, and the Awakened have already taken care of them all.”
“Are there no monsters coming ashore? For example, amphibious ones like fish-men?”
“Hmm, well, at least according to reports, there haven’t been any.”
“……”
The official’s nonchalant attitude spoke volumes about the situation here. Even without words, language and body language conveyed far more than ordinary people realized. This place was completely different from the outside world. There would be no massacres, nor any areas occupied by monsters.
“Before heading to Halla Mountain, could I speak briefly with Jeju’s Awakened?”
“Ah, they’re already at Halla Mountain, so you needn’t worry.”
“That’s convenient. Oh, before we go up, would it be all right if I took a short detour on my own?”
An emergency had been declared—quietly. Jeju had only recently secured peace from the weaker monsters and didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere, so they were controlling access to Halla Mountain, restricting information, and having scientists inspect the hot springs while soldiers remained stationed there. But that was only if I filed an official report. After asking the officials for a bit of understanding, Dohwa and I were now alone together.
“Before we go up, we need to check whether this is beneficial for our Dohwa.”
“Oppa, why are we wearing swimsuits at a bathhouse?” Dohwa came toddling over in a pink one-piece.
“Because we’re outside.” If soaking in this spring improved her condition, then this volcano had been influenced by a monster or spirit. If not… well, it was just a bath. There didn’t seem to be any toxic substances, so it should be fine.
“Come on, our Dohwa. Can you bathe by yourself while Oppa takes care of some things?”
“Yeah! I can even wash my own hair!”
“Really, when did you grow up so much?” I scooped Dohwa up and lowered her into the spring. The weight in my hands was offset by buoyancy, and a warm temperature spread through me. It definitely contained gi, whether from a spirit or not. Because I was sensitive to these things, even other Awakened wouldn’t immediately notice it upon entering. That was why I was certain: this was simply a hot spring imbued with gi, nothing more—no special spells or effects.
“Is it pretty deep down there?” Rather than the volcano itself possessing gi, the sudden change suggested a monster or spirit was inside the volcano. We still lacked information.
“Can’t Oppa bathe with me too?” Seeing Dohwa’s face, I naturally reached out and stroked her hair. Just in case, I had scattered talismans around like landmines, forming a defensive perimeter.
“Haaaah, I feel alive again.” 45°C—slightly hotter than a typical scalding bath, yet not unpleasant for an Awakened. Even wearing a swimsuit (rash guard), the spring’s mana made it remarkably effective for me as well.
“Yuseong-hyung, where are we going next?” The one called Kim Bohun spoke to me in a friendly tone as I approached. Unlike me, who had awakened based on a game character, he was an ordinary Awakened whose mana had manifested from his original body. Of course, if someone in his family had been a user-turned-Awakened, he might have gained something, but unfortunately there was no such connection here. Those who had only recently awakened were weak—like total newbies starting a game for the first time.
“……I’m going to rest for a bit.”
“Huh… really? Then could you bring me a glass of water when you come back?” The girl, Lee Hyerim, rose from the spring and left. She seemed uncomfortable with the situation itself. I was a female elf. Before that, I had been a male gamer who liked elves. I had considered refusing when they suggested going to the hot spring, but I couldn’t risk something strange happening again. Elves were simply beautiful—beautiful enough to ignore the fact that I used to be male. It was thanks to good customization, but the point was that the male party members kept approaching me while the women whispered about it.
“If it weren’t for the mayor’s orders, I would’ve quit already……” He wanted me to babysit these hot-blooded teenagers. Other places ran smoothly enough, but the mayor had assigned me to supervise the ones most likely to cause trouble. It felt like a waste of combat power, but Jeju was strangely peaceful anyway. Deep down, I had thought that since I’d awakened, I might aim for a more impressive position. No—I had wanted it.
“Sorry to bother you while you’re resting, but may I ask a few questions?” Lost in thought, I flinched at the sight of the uninvited guest who had appeared like a ghost.